Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/734262
44 | Overdrive | October 2016 D aimler Trucks North America last month unveiled a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia rede- signed to up the bar on fuel economy, connectivity, uptime and driver comfort. The truck will be powered by Daimler's Detroit Integrated Powertrain, including a 2017 emis- sions-compliant Detroit DD15 or DD13 engine and the Detroit DT12 automat- ed manual transmission. Production will begin in January. In a 2,400-mile test that pitted a 2018 Cascadia against the company's highly fuel-efficient 2016 Cascadia Evolution, the newer truck consumed 8 percent less fuel than the Evolution, said Kary Schaefer, DTNA gener- al manager of product marketing and strategy. Martin Daum, head of DTNA, said there are no plans to stop building the Evolution for at least two years. In the 2018 Cascadia, Detroit's updated fourth-generation Intelligent Powertrain Management transmission management software uses GPS-based technology to maximize the DT12's fuel economy performance by antic- ipating changes in road terrain. The transmission also has super-finished gears engineered for lower-viscosity transmission oil. Changes to the rear axle include a lower sump volume, gear-set coating, friction-reducing gear cutting and optional Axle Lubrication Management designed to reduce parasitic loss. New Detroit rear drive axle ratios of 2.28 and 2.16 are available to promote down- speeding and improved fuel economy. "Every aspect of the truck has been reimagined," said Richard Howard, DTNA's senior vice president of sales and marketing. That includes the exte- rior, which adds even more sleekness to the aerodynamic tractor. Standard enhancements that help mininize drag – some new, others improved – include an upper door seal, elliptical mirrors, a sloped hood, a bumper with an integrated air deflector and integrated antennas. Optional Aero and AeroX packages provide additional aerodynamic benefits, including longer Evolution continues New Cascadia improves again on efficiency, comfort BY JASON CANNON One configuration for the new sleeper includes a dinette and work table and a bracket that can hold a 26-inch TV. The new Freightliner Cascadia will be powered by Daimler's Detroit Integrated Powertrain. This model was one of several pre-ordered, sight-unseen, by Freightliner customers and displayed at the unveiling. Jason Cannon Daimler Trucks North America